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Vapor barrier coating for particle board Mail Man Bob 07-29-2007
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Posted by Mail Man Bob on July 29, 2007, 3:45 pm
I am going to install some kitchen cabinets. The structural parts are
plywood, front are solid, but most of the rest is particle board. The mfr
calls it something else (furniture board?), but it's plain old particle
board as far as I can tell.

The particle board pieces are cover with something - either laminate or
plastic - except any places that are not visible.

I know of 2 people personally who had dealings with new kitchen cabinets -
one in apt , other in a house - and both suffered allergic reactions to the
binding chemicals - formaldehyde or other.

Going to all-plywood or all-wood construction sends the price to a different
orbit, since this would essentially be doing a 'custom' job. So for cost,
we have to use as standard a material as we can.

My thought is to coat the uncovered surfaces with some kind of sealer -
either a primer or water seal product - to seal in any vapors inside.

Long story, I know.... but 2 questions...

1 - Can someone recommend the best type of sealer? I have seen water- and
oil-based at Home Depot, as well as various primers, etc.

2 - I heard something recently about the govt outlawing carcinogens in
particle board. Anyone know about that?

Whew! That's a long one. (The longer the better. :O)

Thanks.

Bob





Posted by Morris Dovey on July 29, 2007, 4:25 pm
Mail Man Bob wrote:
| I am going to install some kitchen cabinets. The structural parts
| are plywood, front are solid, but most of the rest is particle
| board. The mfr calls it something else (furniture board?), but
| it's plain old particle board as far as I can tell.
|
| The particle board pieces are cover with something - either
| laminate or plastic - except any places that are not visible.
|
| I know of 2 people personally who had dealings with new kitchen
| cabinets - one in apt , other in a house - and both suffered
| allergic reactions to the binding chemicals - formaldehyde or other.
|
| Going to all-plywood or all-wood construction sends the price to a
| different orbit, since this would essentially be doing a 'custom'
| job. So for cost, we have to use as standard a material as we can.
|
| My thought is to coat the uncovered surfaces with some kind of
| sealer - either a primer or water seal product - to seal in any
| vapors inside.
|
| Long story, I know.... but 2 questions...
|
| 1 - Can someone recommend the best type of sealer? I have seen
| water- and oil-based at Home Depot, as well as various primers, etc.
|
| 2 - I heard something recently about the govt outlawing carcinogens
| in particle board. Anyone know about that?

It's not clear whether you're building or buying these cabinets.

If you're buying them, then you should be able to apply a light
wipe-on coat of poly to seal as much of the material as you can get
at. It should help to decrease moisture problems and inhibit
(somewhat) outgassing.

If you're building the cabinets, you might consider substituting a
product like Extira(tm) that uses acrylic plastic as a binder to
eliminate moisture problems and sidestep the outgassing problems
entirely. It looks like MDF, machines like MDF, and eats tool edges
just like MDF - but won't change dimensions more than 2% even when
left immersed in water. I've applied shellac, poly, and Zinser 1-2-3
primer without difficulties.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/



Posted by William Underhill on July 30, 2007, 12:18 am
Morris Dovey wrote:

> If you're building the cabinets, you might consider substituting a
> product like Extira(tm) that uses acrylic plastic as a binder to
> eliminate moisture problems and sidestep the outgassing problems
> entirely. It looks like MDF, machines like MDF, and eats tool edges
> just like MDF - but won't change dimensions more than 2% even when
> left immersed in water. I've applied shellac, poly, and Zinser 1-2-3
> primer without difficulties.

Bet that stuff weighs a ton, with all that plastic in it. And I don't
know what the fire retardancy would be like...

W. Underhill
--
"Take sides! Always take sides! You may sometimes be wrong - but the man
who refuses to take sides must *always* be wrong! Heaven save us from
poltroons who fear to make a choice!" R.A. Heinlein, "Double Star"

Posted by Morris Dovey on July 30, 2007, 8:48 am
William Underhill wrote:
| Morris Dovey wrote:
|
|| If you're building the cabinets, you might consider substituting a
|| product like Extira(tm) that uses acrylic plastic as a binder to
|| eliminate moisture problems and sidestep the outgassing problems
|| entirely. It looks like MDF, machines like MDF, and eats tool edges
|| just like MDF - but won't change dimensions more than 2% even when
|| left immersed in water. I've applied shellac, poly, and Zinser
|| 1-2-3 primer without difficulties.
|
| Bet that stuff weighs a ton, with all that plastic in it. And I
| don't know what the fire retardancy would be like...

I should have added: "Heavy like MDF" to the list. I'm not sure about
the relative combustability.

I use it for routed signs. You can see an example by following the
link in my sig.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/PT_Sign.html



Posted by sailor on July 29, 2007, 4:30 pm
> I am going to install some kitchen cabinets. The structural parts are
> plywood, front are solid, but most of the rest is particle board. The mfr
> calls it something else (furniture board?), but it's plain old particle
> board as far as I can tell.
>
> The particle board pieces are cover with something - either laminate or
> plastic - except any places that are not visible.
>
> I know of 2 people personally who had dealings with new kitchen cabinets -
> one in apt , other in a house - and both suffered allergic reactions to the
> binding chemicals - formaldehyde or other.
>
> Going to all-plywood or all-wood construction sends the price to a different
> orbit, since this would essentially be doing a 'custom' job. So for cost,
> we have to use as standard a material as we can.
>
> My thought is to coat the uncovered surfaces with some kind of sealer -
> either a primer or water seal product - to seal in any vapors inside.
>
> Long story, I know.... but 2 questions...
>
> 1 - Can someone recommend the best type of sealer? I have seen water- and
> oil-based at Home Depot, as well as various primers, etc.
>
> 2 - I heard something recently about the govt outlawing carcinogens in
> particle board. Anyone know about that?
>
> Whew! That's a long one. (The longer the better. :O)
>
> Thanks.
>
> Bob

Even if the vapors are safe, it would be a good idea to seal moisture
out.

I've seen lots of cabinets fall apart when the particle board, mdf,
etc gets

wet.


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